Panther Killed On Highway

October 29, 1985|By David Enscoe, Staff writer

A rare Florida panther was struck and killed by a car on State Road 29 in Collier County, wildlife management officials said Monday.

The panther, which was about 10 years old and weighed 120 pounds, was one of only a few dozen known to exist in the country, said Lt. Biff Lampton of the Everglades Regional Office of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission in Palm Beach County.

Two fisherman found the carcass Saturday afternoon about three miles south of Alligator Alley, Lampton said.

He said the panther was first captured, fitted with a radio collar, and released two years ago near the I-28 canal, more then 40 miles from where he was killed.

Lampton said about 10 Florida panthers have been struck and killed by cars since 1972. The last was in killed in January.

The Florida panther, a sub species of the mountain lion, is the state animal and is found only in Florida, mostly in the Big Cypress Swamp and the Everglades.

Lampton said the panther is ``one of the most critically endangered animals in the world.`` To reduce the risk of road kills, 45 mph panther speed zones have been established on Alligator Alley, State Road 29 and U.S. 41.